Shimmer (16 page)

David grabbed her arm. ‘We need to get back to the cave.'

‘No, it is too dangerous. I think I saw —'

‘I wish,' said David, before she could finish, ‘to return to the cave, now!'

Using the tiniest amount of magic possible she shimmered them into their hiding spot inside the cave. She blinked, willing her eyes to adjust to the darkness after the glare of the sun outside.

The previously empty cave was now crowded and noisy. ‘Far out,' said David, squinting. ‘That's Vennum!'

‘That is what I was trying to tell you,' she whispered. ‘And his harnessed genies have got Rihando surrounded.'

A younger-looking Vennum stepped out from the darkest shadows of the cave. ‘Well, isn't this lovely,' he said to Rihando. ‘The Emperor's most trusted and loyal genie will be helping me rule Genesia.'

Some of the genies laughed but many of the others looked sympathetically at Rihando. ‘You are truly mad if you believe you can, or ever will, rule Genesia,' said Rihando, quietly. ‘You will never conquer the city walls.'

‘It is you who is mad if you thought fleeing to Earth would save you from me.' Vennum sneered. ‘And harnessing yourself to a human won't work either.'

All eyes turned to David's father who was leaning against the back wall of the cave, holding his arm with its burning welt from harnessing.

‘I did not harness myself to him,' spat Rihando. ‘I fell on top of him by accident trying to escape you.'

‘It matters not. What is done is easily undone.' He turned to the genie on his right. ‘I wish for a dagger.'

‘No!' Rihando and David both cried out at the same time as the deadly weapon materialised in the palm of Vennum's hand.

Kora felt David move beside her and she gripped tightly onto his shirt to hold him in place. ‘You cannot let him see us. If Vennum finds us here together now he will recognise that I am from the future.' She whispered the words hurriedly at David to hold him still. ‘That means he will be able to find us, and the rest of your family, when he comes looking for me in the future.'

‘Then you stay here.' David shook free of Kora. ‘He doesn't know who I am.'

Rihando had moved to stand between Vennum and David's father. ‘It is not the human's fault,' he said. ‘If he simply wishes me unharnessed you can spare him.'

Vennum shrugged, but as Rihando turned he came face-to-face with David's father's machine gun. ‘Back out of the cave,' he said. ‘All of you.'

Vennum laughed and David's father stepped closer, his gun held steady, finger on the trigger. ‘Back out, I said.'

‘Your weapon will not harm us,' said Rihando.

Vennum spun the dagger in his hand. ‘I had forgotten how entertaining Earth can be.'

Rihando ignored him. ‘You must understand,' he implored David's father. ‘I am a genie and when I fell on you it accidentally harnessed me to you. Unless you wish to set me free he will kill you.'

In that moment everything changed. David's father opened fire on the genies but all the bullets fell uselessly to the ground. The noise in the cave was deafening. Vennum ordered his genies to control Rihando and an enormous genie fight broke out leaving David's father completely unprotected. And then Vennum threw the dagger. It hurtled through the air and lodged deep into his father's chest. Blood oozed everywhere and David's father slumped back against the cave wall.

‘No, David,' croaked Kora, as David flew out from their hiding spot and ran to his father.

David pushed his way through the genies to reach his father. ‘Dad,' groaned David, helping his father to the ground.

‘David?' asked his father. ‘Is that really you?'

‘Yes, Dad. Don't ask how, but it's really me.'

‘I must be dreaming,' said his father. ‘Because my only wish was to see you again before I die.' He lifted his hand from his wound and stared at the blood that dripped from his fingers.

‘You're not going to die,' said David, fiercely. ‘I won't let you.' David looked up frantically at Rihando, who was heavily surrounded by genies, and then looked in Kora's direction. ‘Do something,' he shouted.

Grief tore at her heart. What was she supposed to do? She could not heal his father and even if Rihando shimmered them to a hospital, not only did she doubt that the doctors could save him but Vennum would only follow them and kill him the second they arrived anyway.

David's father gasped for air and David pressed firmly where the dagger was buried in his chest in an attempt to stop the flow of blood.

‘It's okay, son,' he said. His father reached up and placed his hand on top of David's. ‘I'm so proud of you, David. Take my watch so that you will always remember our time together.' He then lifted both of their blood-covered hands away from the wound and with a loud groan wrenched out the dagger. Blood spurted. His father closed his eyes. ‘I love you, son,' he whispered.

Tears streamed down David's face. ‘I love you too, Dad.' But it was too late. His father was gone.

David swiped at his tears and when he lifted his head his face was a mask of agony. He picked up the bloodied dagger and slowly stood. Revenge burned blue fire in his eyes as he faced Vennum.

‘Good luck, kid,' said Vennum. ‘Your father was no match for me, and neither will you be.'

Kora panicked. David would surely die if he attacked Vennum now. They had to get back to their own time. At least there they had a plan.

She slipped out of her hiding spot and at that moment Rihando turned his head in her direction. She saw understanding dawn on his face. Rihando rubbed his wrists where the golden bands had only just faded away and then threw himself at Vennum.

The surprise and agony of harnessing knocked Vennum to the ground and Kora used the opportunity to shimmer them out to the top of the rocky hillside above the cave.

‘What are you doing?' shouted David.

‘Saving your life. You will not win fighting Vennum here. Our only chance is if we follow our plan.'

David's eyes searched the hillside. ‘Will he follow us?'

‘Maybe. The harnessing will only buy us a couple of minutes.'

‘Rihando gave himself up to Vennum.'

‘He did it to save you,' said Kora. ‘To save both of us. He saw me in there.'

‘It must have been Rihando that sent me my father's watch.' David rubbed his face. ‘I knew it hadn't been there all along.'

‘Rihando would have felt terrible about your father and would have known his wish for you to have it.'

‘Before we go back there's something I have to know, Kora.' He looked her directly in the eyes. ‘Did you know Vennum killed my father before we came here today?'

‘Of course not.' Her eyes narrowed. ‘But I bet that stinking armourowl did.'

‘How could he have known?'

Kora shrugged. ‘Nobody fully understands the armourowls' ways.'

‘Don't be mad at him. I'm glad Amurru chose to make me a part of this.'

‘Do you not see how much Amurru has kept hidden from us?' Anger shook her voice. ‘How he has manipulated us into his own greater plan?'

‘I'm glad I know the truth.'

‘Even if it ends up killing you?'

‘Vennum has to answer for what he has done. If only he had given my father time to understand what was going on, he could have freed Rihando. Then my father would still be alive today.'

Her eyes scanned the hillside looking for any sign they had been followed. ‘You know Amurru was insistent that we have a plan for our return. I guess that means he knew we would not be able to change the past.'

David shook his head from side to side, examining the bloodied dagger in his hands. ‘I wasn't able to change the past.' But then he lifted his head and his face had such a look of brutal determination that it sent a cold shiver hurtling down her spine. ‘But I swear to you, I will change the future.'

Kora and David found a sheltered spot on the hillside above the cave. She was fairly sure that all the genies had returned to Genesia now. They must have decided that one human boy wasn't worth chasing after. But, just in case, she wanted to be out of sight when she began to summon her magic. She didn't need to be fighting Vennum on this side of the time-travel portal as well as on the other.

Kora sucked in a deep breath. She was still weak from opening the first portal. Her stomach twisted with nerves. She wasn't sure she had the energy left to open one big enough for them to return. She closed her eyes, needing a few more moments to gather her strength and steady her nerves. ‘Let us just run over things one more time.'

David's eyes narrowed impatiently but he simply nodded. ‘You're going to open the portal in a different place from where we left.'

‘Yes,' she agreed. ‘Higher up the side of the rocky slope. I will try to open it so that we step through behind that boulder you said looked like a dragon's head. That way we will be able to see how many of them there are before they spot us.'

David looked at the dagger in his hand, still covered in his father's blood, and his brow furrowed. ‘And it will give us time to prepare ourselves and to set off the chloroform bomb.'

‘Yes, but it will not be much time, David. They will be waiting for us and on the alert for any use of magic at all. They will feel the magic before we have even climbed through the portal. We may only have a few seconds to get ready, David. If we are lucky.'

He nodded. ‘It'll be enough. Stop worrying, Kora. Vennum's army are all genies.' David's mouth twisted in a grim smile. ‘We both know they can't harm me. I'm human.'

‘David!' She stared at him, aghast. ‘You do not know what you are saying.'

He shrugged. ‘Look, Kora, whatever happens, happens. Let's just do it.' He twirled the dagger in his hand and then tucked it into his belt. ‘I'm as ready as I'll ever be.'

Kora nodded and let her magic rumble around in her chest, testing. It was definitely weaker. She stood taller, letting it fill her.

David lifted his gasmask to cover his face and pulled the chloroform bomb out of his backpack, ready to use. He moved to stand close beside her.

Lifting her own gasmask to cover her face she turned and focused her thoughts on a clear space just above ground level about a metre in front of them, and released a solid stream of power. She was ready this time for the heavy resistance she felt as she channelled her power. Instead of the instant flash of light that signalled the opening of a portal, there was a slow quivering in the air as she forced the portal through space and time. It seemed to take much longer to open than the first portal, and she began to wonder if she had the strength left to force it forward far enough in time. But finally the quivering light in the air in front of them steadied, splitting and opening into a small hole about the size of a shoebox. Breathing heavily, she drew in more and more power, until her body shook with the effort. She dropped to her knees, struggling to breathe, struggling to hold the portal open.

Power surged in her chest. Her fingers and toes began to tingle. Still she needed more. Before them the portal flashed and shuddered, stretching wider bit by tiny bit. She had to be quick. With a final gasp, she flung every last ounce of energy into the flow of magic pouring from her chest. It drained from her, surging into the tiny window in time she was opening before them. It felt as though her own life force was draining away along with it.

Her vision blurred and she blinked rapidly. She had to stay focused and hold the portal open long enough for them both to squeeze through. The portal shuddered and faltered several times before finally steadying itself. It was still small. Not even up to her waist. Still, she was sure they could both crawl through it, one at a time.

‘Hurry, David,' she gasped.

David stared at the tiny portal. As soon as he could see a small square of the familiar red earth on the other side, he dropped to his knees and wriggled through. Turning, he reached back through the portal and grabbed Kora's hand, hauling her limp body through behind him.

Kora could not hold the portal open another second. She let it slam closed behind her, barely missing her feet. She tried to see what was happening, but she was having trouble turning her head. Sticky strands of web clung to her gasmask, obscuring her vision. She was too weak to even lift her hand to swipe at them. The dome of blue sky above her wavered and spun and a crushing weight pressed down on her chest. She wondered vaguely if her lungs were collapsing.

She tried to focus on David. She knew they had only seconds before they would be attacked. She had to know what was going on. She managed to turn her head just far enough to see David peering around the side of the dragon's head rock. At least she had managed to open the portal in the right place!

She tried to speak, to ask him what he could see, but she couldn't move her lips. But then David spun around and sprang towards her, his face white behind his mask. He positioned himself in front of her and pulled out the lever on the chloroform gas bottle. ‘They're coming, Kora.' She could barely hear him over the ringing in her ears and the hissing of the chloroform. ‘And there's hundreds of them.'

It took less than a second for the rocky slope in front of them to be overrun by genies, many of whom Kora recognised. There were men and women, old and young, but by far the majority of them were young men. Genesia's finest fighting men, stolen for Vennum's evil army!

Terrified and unable to move, Kora wondered if David was about to die and she was about to be harnessed. But it was amazing. The chloroform was streaming from the gas bottle and, unbelievably, their plan was actually working. The chloroform was so effective, the genies were barely able to materialise before they dropped to the ground, unconscious. They didn't even have time to warn the others before they were knocked out.